Rigaud in Vaudreuil-Soulanges, Québec — Central Canada (French-Canadian)
Le Pont Riguad-De Cavagnal
The Riguad-Cavagnal Bridge
Le pont qui relie les deux rives de la rivière Rigaud est le sixième pont à être construit dans ce secteur. Les premiers ponts se trouvaient à quelques dizaines de mètres à l'ouest du pont actuel, et les fondations de ces anciennes structures sont toujours visibles du tablier du pont.
Ici, se trouvaient jadis deux édifices importants de Rigaud : l'hôtel Charlebois, qui hébergea le bureau de poste, puis l'hôtel des Postes, qui fut déménagé plus à l'ouest en mai 1938.
Afin de répondre à la demande du gouvernement de pouvoir procéder à la construction d'un nouveau pont dans la ligne de la route provinciale, on déménage te bureau de poste plus à l'ouest et on débute ta construction du pont ici, le 2 novembre 1937. Le contrat est octroyé à monsieur Ephrem Dupont de la firme Dupont & Gaillardetz de Shawinigan pour la somme de 72 000 $. Les travaux sont suspendus pendant l'hiver et reprennent le 3 juin 1938.
Les pilotis de chaque côté sont faits de ciment afin d'asseoir la structure sur le roc. Pour les brise-glace au centre, on y introduisit beaucoup de pierres qu'on transporta à la main. On fit appel à un homme fort de Rigaud pour ce travail, soit monsieur Émile Vallée. Les pilotis furent plantés par monsieur Eddy Hynes de Choisy.
Le mercredi 6 juillet 1938, à 13 h 25, J.-Marc Séguin est le premier à le traverser en voiture. Quelques jours plus tard, soit le 22 juillet, c'est Bernard Lalonde qui franchit le pont fini en béton.
Le pont devait porter le nom de « pont de Léry », mais on adopta finalement le nom de « pont de Rigaud » sur recommandation de la Société historique de Rigaud. C'est en 1999, que la Municipalité officialisera le pont sous le nom de « pont Rigaud-De Cavagnal ».
The bridge that connects the two banks of the Rigaud River is the sixth bridge to be built in this area. The first bridges were a few dozen metres west of the current bridge, and the foundations of these old structures are still visible from the bridge deck.
Here, there were once two important Rigaud buildings: the Charlebois Hotel, which originally housed the post office, and the Post Office, which was moved further west in May 1938.
In response to the government's request to build a new bridge along the provincial highway line, the post office was moved further west and bridge construction began here on November 2, 1937. The contract was awarded to Mr. Ephrem Dupont of The Shawinigan firm Dupont-Gaillardetz for $72,000. Work was suspended during the winter and resumed on June 3, 1938.
The stilts on each side are made of cement to sit the structure on the rock. For the icebreakers in the centre, a lot of stones were introduced and carried by hand. A strongman from Rigaud was called upon for this work, Mr. Émile Vallée. The stilts were planted by Mr. Eddy Hynes of Choisy.
On Wednesday, July 6, 1938, at 1:25 p.m., J.-Marc Séguin was the first to cross it by car. A few days later, on July 22, Bernard Lalonde crossed the finished concrete bridge.
The bridge was to be called the "Léry Bridge," but the name "Rigaud Bridge" was eventually adopted on the recommendation of the Rigaud Historical Society. In 1999, the Municipality formalized the bridge as the Rigaud-De Cavagnal Bridge.
Erected by Municipalité de Rigaud and Vaudreuil-Soulanges RCM.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Bridges & Viaducts • Roads & Vehicles. A significant historical date for this entry is July 6, 1938.
Location. 45° 28.744′ N, 74° 18.146′ W. Marker is in Rigaud, Québec, in Vaudreuil-Soulanges. It is on Rue Saint-Pierre (Québec Route 325) just south of Rue Saint-Jean-Baptiste Est ( Route 342), on the right when traveling south. Marker is located beside the sidewalk, near the southwest corner of the intersection, overlooking the bridge. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Rigaud QC J0P 1P0, Canada. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Greater Montréal. It is also in Central Canada. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, and the Western World. Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony, the Viceroyalty of New France, the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, and Rupert’s Land.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 24 kilometers of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Église Sainte-Madeleine-de-Rigaud (within shouting distance of this marker); L'Ancien Bureau de Poste (within shouting distance of this marker); Le 125, Saint-Pierre (about 150 meters away, measured in a direct line); Thomas Bassett Macaulay (approx. 11 kilometers away); Carillon Canal (approx. 11.4 kilometers away); The War of 1812 - 1814 (approx. 23.4 kilometers away); Coteau-du-lac (approx. 23.4 kilometers away); The Durham boat (approx. 23.5 kilometers away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Rigaud.
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Le Pont Riguad-De Cavagnal
Credits. This page was last revised on June 15, 2020. It was originally submitted on June 14, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 240 times since then and 11 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on June 15, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.





